Post by Mirage Arena Mod on Sept 24, 2018 10:04:11 GMT -5

on the job now

And so our heroes arrive in Kohlingen, a village on the Western Continent of the World of Ruin. While its master of destruction no longer holds minion over the world, it still struggles to regain its magical energies that once kept it Balanced. A thief, by the name of Erick lived here, claims to have known Locke growing up. He says he had a treasure, of which he swears he found fair and square, was stolen from him by a rival looking to outdo him.

This guy has been a thorn in his side for years, but breaking the covenant of a thief, well that's just dirty! He's offering a bounty to up and kill this scallywag -- er fellow and bring back his loot!

He has belief the troublemaker has made his way south to Darill's Tomb. Bring back his treasure and proof you killed his rival!

Post by Rayne Riser on Sept 24, 2018 16:01:09 GMT -5

A thief in need of some comeuppance? Rayne mused to herself, How absolutely delightful. The worlds hold such strange little adventures! It makes for a nice change of pace between romps through dark and bloody battles. Rayne kept to her pace with steadfast conviction, despite the ruined state of the land around her. It was dark and moody, which complimented her appearance rather well. In her black armor and faceplate, she was a perfect match for this type of world. A shadow amongst the ruins and rubble.

Yet her companions on this quest were far from a match for this place--One a thief colored in blues, with hair of gold and a bright tail to match. The other a wizard wrapped in crimson. Admittedly, Rayne had a hard time figuring out how she ended up working alongside the two of them, rather than competing with them, but her employer was quite clear about this being a cooperative job. She kept herself at the same ranks as her companions, not taking the lead out of cautiousness--Both of stumbling into traps ahead and of being stabbed in the back by her companions. She would normally do so, but alas... Not this time. Even as the thoughts rolled gingerly through her mind, Rayne shrugged ever so faintly as if to push them out.

"So... Do you suppose we're closing in on this tomb our thief is hiding out in? Or is there yet more traveling that needs to be done?"

### | Zidane TribalRojo, the Red Wizard of Light | First mission, didn't really know where to start exactly. I hope one of you doesn't mind taking more of a lead position for this first round or two until I get my bearings!

Post by Zidane Tribal on Sept 26, 2018 8:48:02 GMT -5

The world, for the young rogue, carried a foreboding feeling yet one of familiarity. He had seen it before, maybe in a memory? Or perhaps from a story. The ruined world had been drained of all of its magic, leaving little capable of surviving, but bit by bit it was returning. His presence here was no accident, but neither had he known the reason to his return. Maybe it was to find a friend? Either way the rogue needed a good meal. He arrived with scarce a gil to his name. A mission posted up in the sketchiest part of town had certainly caught his attention.

A bill for a generic retrieval. Far be it for him to had been surprised about the company that had written such a missive. He didn't see it as too much an issue. So sometimes brothers in arms got greedy, stole from their rivals. Zidane was guilty of snatching goods from more prominent figures in society. But what he was less keen on was the idea of having to slay their target. There were three of them and probably just one of that guy, no need to do him any harm.

The rogue had a spring in his step, the long, curled tail bouncing behind him. His arms were folded behind his head while he traveled with his group. "Can't say, never been here, but suppose with the bounty we're getting it's not gunna be an easy run, right?" How hard was it to locate a tomb anyway? "I'd guess it's a bit of a distance from town, but not so far that getting there would be impossible, right?" Maybe half a day's walk? Who knew!

But it wouldn't be long until they did. The tomb in question was a rather gigantic, ominous structure that, once beyond the hill and trees: it could be spotted by a sharp eye. The haunting gargoyle that guarded the entrance were about half the problems that kept this place from being raided. There were also the problems of Imps, Ghosts and probably Zombies if they weren't careful!

Ah, a heroic quest! That was exactly what Rojo needed to lift his spirits after his failed endeavor at tag team tournament fighting! The crystal of light had led him to a rather dreary world. More of this world seemed dead than alive, but the bar life was a lot better than what he'd seen in some of these other worlds. There were maiden's a plenty and all of them had been absolutely spellbound by his stories of conquest and general world saving over the years.

Now, he'd found himself working with a beautiful woman in black armor and a weird springy boy. The boy had a weird fuzzy tail hanging from his back side. A very strange sight indeed, but the young man seemed rather agile, which could prove to help the crimson clad mage in his endeavor to return the apparently priceless artifact they'd been sent to retrieve. The woman spoke up first, pondering on whether or not the tomb they'd been seeking out was in close proximity. The monkey boy responded stating that it obviously wouldn't be too close to town, but not too far either. The thief wouldn't want just anyone walking in and he'd want it within a reasonable distance so he could resupply whenever he needed to."A brilliant deduction! Why, of course he wouldn't want to be too close. I think I see it coming up."

As they approached the tomb, Rojo thought to break up the silence and pinpoint himself as the obvious powerhouse he thought he was. He had experience dealing with the undead before. He had fought the powerful Lich and used his expertise in the holy white magic to keep his evil at bay."If we are forced to deal with the dead inside, then I shall make quick work of them. Have I ever told you all how I vanquished the powerful Lich, one of Chaos's most faithful subordinates, single-handedly in a battle of wits?"

Rojo continued on, taking the lead and entering the tomb, without the cautiousness needed to scope for traps and perceive approaching enemies. He was that confident in his own abilities that he threw caution to the wind and marched onward with his head held high.

Post by Mirage Arena Mod on Oct 1, 2018 8:55:36 GMT -5

on the job now

Whose idea had it been to put a Tomb all the way out here? But come the World of Ruin it was said to have traveled several hundred miles from its original location, which was given for a world lost in the magicless void. For those who were keen to feel the connection to the aethers that flowed across worlds this one's was but a spark of what it once was. It was no longer -- gone in its entirety, consumed for succor by its cruel god, but slowly restoring life as the inhabitants once new. Sprouts of life were evident around the edges of the great tomb, which once held a secret known to but one man who had made a gamble against all odds...

The Tomb of Darill, suffice to say, was an architectural marvel. A paradise in the middle of the barren wastes of Figaro's territory. While it was a wonder that any country would claim the desert as its home, given the lack of resources, it was an even greater fallacy that it would survive as long as it did. It was in no short thanks to its technological superiority that rivaled that of the once great Gestahlian Empire.The tombs grey-blue stones stood out against the ash grey cliffs that surrounded it. Grand steps were guarded by a pair of Gargoyle statues who had been choked by vines as life struggled to regain the lifeless plains. Upon reading the grand doors the team could stand to notice the doors were ajar, and had been open for some time as spiders long since began to weave intricate designs between the opening. The stale air that once filled the tomb was no more and with no more than assumption it could be surmised that native life could have taken shelter inside, making it a touch more dangerous.

The steps leading don into the tomb's path was covered by velvet rugs of crimson stained with muddied footprints of tomb robbers and curious adventurers. Plants sought to reclaim the walls as rose vine walls collected around the entrance, spreading outward into its interior. What stood out, among all of it, were the faces of the stones which had been well maintained for quite some time. The assumption of active archaeological pursuits were a given seeing as the Kingdom of Figaro was near and by and scholars always pressed to learn about a past they would never again see. In the shadows living plants roved about. Malboro with rose bud heads seemed to mimic the surrounding plantlife in order to better hunt prey. Other dangerous looking plants seemed to dot the Tomb as well as evidence of beasts and other creatures come to live in the only shelter on the wastes.

The adventurers had their goal, yet it did seem that if one had come to occupy the tomb they had not entered through the front.

Post by Rayne Riser on Oct 2, 2018 15:10:18 GMT -5

After cresting the dull and dreary landscape, across bland and inhospitable wastes, the misfit team seemed to at last reach their destination. Amid the slate blue stones was a carved door, left ajar and coated with the familiar weaves of undisturbed webs. Rayne grinned as she stepped toward the door, but stopped short of it. A tickle in the back of her head, and her eyes for but a single moment flashed with a fiery golden light almost akin to a Heartless' own. Once it faded, she turned to face her companions, her smile not fading in the slightest.

"I sense a great amount of danger within. I believe we should proceed with caution should we enter here..." She turned her gaze backward to the door for only an instant, then to her companions. "Though no one has been through here in quite some time... The earth is undisturbed and the cobwebs are thick and unbroken. If I had to guess, our little thief found or created another entrance for himself."

With her fingers held tightly to the sheath of her blade at her waist, Rayne began a small lap around the area, trying to spot any other ways in, though she didn't veer terribly far without her companions. She was also searching for any tracks or signs of recent activity beyond the beasts. "Little one;" Rayne called out to her thief companion, "You seem quite keen. Perhaps you might be more suited to this task than I." Rayne admitted, amused as she abandoned her task and returned. Oh, right--she hadn't even introduced herself to her teammates.

"How rude of me, not to give my name, nor ask for either of yours. I am Rayne, it's a pleasure to meet you," Rayne said with a polite curtsy, using only her free hand to pull at the top of her dress. Her other hand remained quite noticeably on her blade as it ever did. "May I ask your names?"

Post by Zidane Tribal on Oct 3, 2018 11:48:09 GMT -5

Zidane folded his arms behind his head, behind him his bobbing tail kept curled just enough to keep the long limb from touching the ground. He looked to the woman as she assessed the situation. He made a face before dropping his arms to his side, holding them out as if to present her with the news, gloved digits splaying out.

"Well, of course it's dangerous. You don't see them doing their dirty work." Things like this weren't always easy.

No such thing as a free meal, he supposed. When it came to other worlds he couldn't just get by his usual way. A few performances on stage could earn a pretty gil on Gaia, heck with only a handful of theater ships still active after the loss of Mist they got a lot of requests! But -- than he ended up way out here. Man he sure did miss home, but if he was going to head back he had to play these parts in this story before he could get to the next scene, whatever it may be.

"Life is a stage, you know?" He'd add. "There's gotta be a way in that isn't the front door." Places like this, much like the stage, had different entrances for different purposes. If he had to guess it wasn't always a keen choice to crisscross through a maze of catacombs to bury a new body.

Zidane blinked when the woman said 'little one'. Maaan was he really that short? Given he was probably the youngest member i the group. His face wasn't rugged and showed next to no signs of aging. He didn't have any visible scars on his face unlike Blank and no facial hair like Cinna. He was the group's babyface and on that account had to play a lot of the female roles with Ruby. Ugh. he threw his hands up and tucked them behind his head. He supposed he hadn't a choice!

He started along forward, the woman introducing herself. "Name's Zidane!" he glreefully offered, tapping his hand on his chest.

He looked up, feeling something just wasn't right. Darill's Tomb, more like Darill's death mansion. They really went out of their way to make it grand which seemed a pretty obvious place for bandits to hide. He would know. His tail puffed up and straightened out when an idea caught him That's right who'd the heck want to go through the front way?! Mausoleums always had two ways in and this sure looked in no way like a place a dead guy would be laid!

Zidane bounced his way up the path until he could no longer see the grand doors and bound around the structure until he came to a mound to a simple cave entrance. They weren't at the front, but in the back! "Guys look!"

Upon looking on it it would seem that this part of the mound looked hidden in the environment. The portion they were at seemed exposed, like by the world's shifting surface, or better yet as if the tomb itself rose from the earth....

Whatever had once laid here was gone, leaving opportunity for feral beasts to further inhabit it.

Post by Rayne Riser on Oct 13, 2018 16:59:44 GMT -5

Not long after introducing themselves, Zidane seemed to spot something, and called out for everyone. Rayne stepped hurriedly toward him and spotted this other more frequently used entrance moments after stepping to his side. She leaned down toward her tailed-teammate, her lips curved into a seductive smile. "Good job--" Rayne purred softly, her steel-gauntleted hand reaching out for him, index finger extended. In one motion, she ghosted the sharp metal tip across the underside of his chin. "--Zidane." She cooed, her voice barely more than a husky whisper. With a quick wink of her pale yellow eye, she turned on a heel and stepped into the cavern.

On the other side, she found something rather intriguing. Vegetation clung to the walls of the narrow passageway inward, yellow and dry in color, almost as if stuck between a state of life and death. Her eyes peered through the shadows, unhindered by the inky black for the short distance of the passage, until she broke into a wider cave inside, where cracks in the stones let in the pale light from the outside of this dreary world. It was enough to see and avoid tripping at least. "It's safe enough..." Rayne called just loudly enough to be heard from the outside. Though there were no beasts immediately, there were signs something rather large had been in here recently... Within hours, if even that long ago.

Rayne knelt down into the dirt, and ran her fingers along the disturbed dirt of a monster's tracks. "Rope? No..." She thought aloud, then turned sharply to the vegetation along the walls, "Vines. A plant monster, perhaps." Rayne pushed herself back up to her feet, then drew the blade free of its sheath in one clean motion. The runes upon the blade began to light up, glowing a bright, fiery red that illuminated a wide area around her. In a darker environment, the runes glowing against the jet black metal of her blade made a surprisingly beautiful sight, as well as a very handy alternative to a torch. Though as soon as she had her sword light up, she noticed sounds from further in the cave, beyond another dark passageway into the unknown.

Post by Zidane Tribal on Oct 14, 2018 15:57:51 GMT -5

Zidane was used to exploring all manner of lost, ancient tombs, but something about this one just made it seem too well kept. Folding his arms behind hid head he would let his boot toe tuck behind his heel. The youthful rogue tilted his head and stared at the vastly different entrances. Seems one was revealed later. When the woman drew near he hadn't thought twice about it, the praise pulling his grin from ear to ear. It wasn't until that cold, metal covered finger brushed on the underside of his jaw did he tense up: his tail frizzing up and the boy's knees locking. Staggering back he flailed his arms and sputtered a bit.

"H-hey!" He protested, face red and tail swaying behind him rapidly as the fur smoothed down. "We got a job you know!" Ugh... it wasn't as if he lost his credibility as a lady's man.... though there stood question if he ever had one, but man she was a little weird.

He followed along and looked around. Seemed like any old, musty dungeon if he's ever seen, and he's sure seen plenty. "We just gotta find the other guy right? Let's just go." Of course he had no interest in trying to find tracks or anything. He wasn't a hunter, but if he was down here, there would be a camp, right?

Post by Rojo, the Red Wizard of Light on Oct 17, 2018 8:07:00 GMT -5

It would seem as if the place had been reclaimed by whatever this world was. Upon entering the tomb, vines and ivy had seemed to be very prevalent here. Rojo's companions had noticed it themselves. The entryway seemed safe enough for now, but the plant life could prove to be hostile the further in they traveled. "It would seem as if someone neglected to trim the hedges. We should continue onward, I'm not worried of a spunky rosebush or two."

Rojo had taken the time to observe his companions for a moment. The spunky monkey seemed to like the spotlight nearly as much as he did. He would be a fun companion to hang around for awhile. The woman, on the other hand, seemed a little uptight. But, c'mon, she couldn't be any worse than the Warrior of Light. It was always a struggle to get the picturesque hero out of his shell.

Rojo walked forward, and put his arm around the woman, around the middle of her back. It was a bit of a friendly gesture to point her forward and get her moving as both he and Zidane were ready to get this party going."You can call me Rojo, the Red Wizard of Light, Slayer of Chaos (single-handedly I might add), Conqueror of the Four Fiends, Liberator of Pravoka, the Crystal's Chosen, and Hero of Time."

That last one was a new title he'd just come up for himself, and it had a rather nice ring to it. It made sense because the group had traveled through time to stop Chaos's mess. As the group pressed onward, Rojo began to contemplate if there were any other titles he could give himself. That list did seem rather short, and one or two more names for himself might make it seem a little less bare bones. Also, it kept this place from reminding him of Lich's domain back home.

Post by Mirage Arena Mod on Oct 23, 2018 17:02:33 GMT -5

on the job now

A veritable catacomb of paths with Rafflesia nestled into their corners, lying in wait for prey, and Rosebuds abound! The plants in question seemed generally peaceful, even sound asleep. If our heroes, and villain, were a lucky bunch they would gather no enmity from the carnivorous plants.

It seemed with fresh prey always about they had little to worry in terms of food. It could be why the thief could have found refuge here, given that the worse he need worry of were a few roaming Fangs and the odd Chocobo. The path they were on would have been a straight corridor. The wide foyer suggested that the space was meant to harbor like of a offerings for the departed, a place for prayer and solace. The stairwell ahead would lead down, deeper into the crypt. This path had led them into the belly of the mausoleum where torches hung on the walls, painting a dim crimson hue against the ice-blue stones. Painted by vines and choked by a stale air: the party would soon discover that this place was much larger than one would anticipate from the burial mound above.

Having seen what was the back of the crypt would allow them to surmise the depth of this dungeon. It would be no fool's task to search the whole of this place. Grime and muck were the least of their worries. The deeper they went the denser the vegetation would become. It must have been years since any have touched this tomb. Perhaps it was forgotten in the ailing past of this world. Whatever the reasoning they would soon find that they had five possible paths, excluding the way back. Three doorways lay before them, each several feet apart. Another door sat at the western most corner of the hall, against the north wall and the last to the east on the same wall where they stood at present.

Post by Zidane Tribal on Nov 10, 2018 5:32:57 GMT -5

The rogue couldn't help but laugh at the introduction. It seemed to remind him of a knight, hardly a thief as he would assume the makeup of his party. What hero went on missions to secure treasure? Well Zidane was no hero despite what many would say, at least he felt lately he was more villian with how he would be chased and hunted. Besides this was an easy job from a familiar source. Even bandits needed help.

"Name's Zidane! I'm far from a hero, but it doesn't seem a stretch to help others who need it!" Though he was sure he didn't care for the incentive to hurt someone for a bit of treasure.

He looked up. "Whoa, look!" Zidane rushed ahead to note all the doors, at least what he could see. Pointing he looked over. "Hey, let's try down there!" He pointed straight ahead to the more visible doors.

It was pretty obvious that he wouldn't be down the easiest path to spot but eliminating the potential hidey holes was wise.